America

2012-03-09

AMERICA/PERU - Agreement of cooperation between Church and State to promote religious assistance in prisons and social reintegration of detainees

Lima (Agenzia Fides) - The representatives of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference (CEP) and the National Penitentiary Institute of Peru (INPE) signed an agreement renewing the cooperation ties between the two institutions. The meeting was held on March 7 in the auditorium of the Episcopal Conference, in Lima, in the presence of His Exc. Mgr. Salvador Piñeiro, Archbishop of Ayacucho and President of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference; Juan Jimenez Mayor, Minister of Justice; Jose Luis Perez Guadalupe, head of INPE.
Objective of the Agreement is to promote, encourage and develop the religious support and complementary activities related to the social reintegration of inmates housed in prisons in the country, through the action of prison Pastoral care in each ecclesiastical jurisdiction. At the same time, through the directors of prisons and in coordination with the Pastoral Commission of the Catholic Church, the mechanisms and requirements for the program to work for human development and personal development will be carefully analized, led by the Pastoral Commission, in order to improve the treatment of prisoners, males and females, and their participation should be considered in the psychological and social relationships.
The note sent by the Episcopal Conference of Peru to Fides concludes that these, among others, are the commitments that unite for the care of each brother and sister, made in the image of God with equal dignity, which for various reasons, end up in prisons in Peru. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 09/03/2012)